Amazon shuffles Alexa leadership following high-end tablet release

Amazon said it has customised Alexa+ for Indian customers, and the assistant can understand local context as well as commonly used phrases. (Image credit: Amazon)

Amazon on Friday confirmed it was shuffling leadership in its Alexa division, a day after the company announced its first tablet computers featuring the voice assistant.

Daniel Rausch, a 17-year Amazon veteran who has served as vice president of Alexa and Echo for over three ⁠years, ​is stepping away from the unit next month, Amazon said in response to a Reuters inquiry.

Rausch, who has served as the face of Alexa at events ​and global ​launches, will return in another ⁠capacity in the devices and services division in 2027.

In his place, Amazon will install ‌Aidan Marcuss, currently the vice president of Fire TV, advertising and the Amazon appstore. Marcuss joined Amazon from Microsoft in early 2025. He oversaw the release of a new Fire TV stick last month, which has garnered mixed reviews.

Kevin Keith, a ⁠product and ⁠marketing vice president, will keep that role but also take on Marcuss’ responsibilities for the ⁠time ‌being, Amazon said. The company ​declined to provide additional detail about the ‌changes.

Alexa has been a consistent money-loser for Amazon since its release in 2014.

Amazon spent ‌several years developing ​a ​new version ​of the voice assistant offering generative AI that can respond to longer prompts. The ​service is featured in the new ⁠Alexa Tablets announced on Thursday that Amazon has priced as a high-end product compared with prior Fire tablets ‌that ⁠were inexpensive.

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Alexa+, as the latest version is known, is included in the $139-per-year Prime ​membership or for $20 monthly as a standalone service.